7 Things to Know About Trafalgar’s River Cruise Fleet & Landside Experience

TMR recently had a chance to experience a small taste of Trafalgar’s river cruise product. For its first season, the fleet consists of just two vessels: Trafalgar Verity (previously Uniworld’s River Queen) and Trafalgar Reverie (previously Uniworld’s River Princess).

The former is operating a 10-day Best of the Rhine and Amsterdam itinerary, which includes two days pre-cruise in Amsterdam, while the latter is sailing an eight-day Best of the Danube itinerary.

With just two nights onboard Trafalgar Verity and a visit to Hoorn, which isn’t a normal part of the Best of the Rhine itinerary, TMR only got a feel for the overall experience. Here are seven things we think travel advisors should know.

1. The Ships Are Small

At just 360 feet long (as compared to a typical Viking longship which is about 443 feet long), Trafalgar’s two ships are small, comprising three passenger decks and the sun deck.

Both carry only 128 passengers, have one main lounge and one hybrid game/meeting room, and a single restaurant.

The ship’s size also determines how large the staterooms and suites onboard can be, with the vast majority of cabins measuring 151 square feet. The suites onboard, of which there are only four, are a mere 215 square feet.

The ship does manage to make room for a tiny gym, a massage room, and a DIY laundry room.

2. Four Cabin Categories

Speaking of staterooms, there are only four categories, three of which are basically the same and differ only by location on the ship and type of window.

At the entry level are the seven Classic staterooms (six on Reverie) on the bottom deck. These rooms are 151 square feet and have shallow fixed windows.

The Main Deck has 37 Deluxe staterooms (36 on Reverie), sub categorized into A (mid), B (aft), and C (forward). All are 151 square feet and have split windows (that can be lowered half way) with a mirror between them.

The top-most passenger deck has a mix of French Balcony staterooms (sub categorized into A (six on Verity and eight on Reverie) and B (10 on both ships), and the four suites. The four suites have a tiny vestibule and much larger bathrooms with double sinks. The French Balcony rooms are 151 square feet; the suites are 215 square feet.

The suites come with one complimentary bad of serviced laundry per week, a welcome fruit plate, daily replenished cookies, a lightly stocked minibar with included beverages, a complimentary bottle of red wine upon arrival, and extras like slippers, bathrobes, and umbrella, and more. Suite guests also get to check in at noon on embarkation day.

3. The Ships Are Old

Along with being small, the ships are old. Trafalgar Verity was built in 1999, while Trafalgar Reverie was built in 2001. Both last underwent full refurbishments in 2010.

Both ships underwent a “light” refresh before relaunching for Trafalgar, with new carpeting in cabins and public areas, new fixtures in bathrooms, new soft goods in the cabins, and new mattresses.

While the wallpaper in staterooms and some of the furniture looks faded, the main issue with the ships’ age are things like the small cabins, small bathrooms with not a lot of shelf space (though we love the sliding glass shower doors), and lack of modern conveniences like USB outlets, bedside outlets of any kind, and mini-fridges.

With that said, the company has ordered some thousand USBs (and USB-Cs) and the ships will soon be outfitted with both.

There also aren’t any deadbolts or chain locks, so there’s no way to stop a crew member from coming in – say if you’re in the bathroom when they knock.

4. Semi-Inclusive Pricing

To keep Trafalgar River at more of a value price point, fares for the brand’s river sailings are semi-inclusive. One shore excursion option is included in every port. Because of its established history as a guided tour operator, Trafalgar’s river cruises do not use third-party guides. All excursions – included and extra-fee optional – are operated by Trafalgar.

Beer, house wines, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner are also included. There is currently no cocktail hour where limited drinks are included, but that might change.

Other inclusions are Wi-Fi, crew gratuities, and detergent packets for the DIY laundry room. There is also complimentary coffee and tea, still and sparkling water (all guests get a refillable water bottle to keep), and cookies available 24/7.

5. Trafalgar’s Signature Tours Are Included

Two of the included tours on every sailing will be one each of Trafalgar’s signature tour types –MAKE TRAVEL MATTER and Be My Guest.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER is a tour type available with every The Travel Corporation brand, including Trafalgar. These tours are designed to help preserve the local culture, while giving guests a chance to meet the locals who are keeping their culture alive.

On the Best of the Rhine cruise, guests will visit Weinessiggut Doktorenhof, where they will learn about the craft and heritage of artisanal vinegar production.

On the Best of the Danube, guests in Bratislava will discover more about the medieval Old Town and the country’s Cold War history with a representative of Post Bellum, a non-profit preserving first-hand accounts of life under totalitarian regimes.

Be My Guest tours are exclusive to Trafalgar and take passengers to a someone’s home or farm, or to an historic restaurant, where they can learn about – and partake in – local food or drink.

On the Best of the Rhine, Trafalgar Verity guests will lunch with the Bohrer family at their multigenerational farm, where they will enjoy and learn about regional traditions and cuisine.

The Be My Guest experience on the Best of the Danube will be a meal at Austria’s oldest winery, Weingut Nikolaihof, where travelers will have a homemade lunch with the Saahs family and learn about centuries-old wine traditions.

6. Family Friendly

Like it does on land, Trafalgar River is making every effort to be family friendly. Both ships have a number of connecting cabins, tours are designed to be engaging for kids (on average 10 and up), and onboard entertainment has been created to be appealing to all ages.

Its family-friendliness is one of the main differentiators that executives emphasized during the preview sailing, and the company is encouraging travel advisors to recommend the product to their family clients.

7. There’s Levity

It’s not uncommon to talk about the ambiance on a river cruise line being relaxed or casual. Trafalgar is both, but it adds an element of levity that we have never experienced with any other river cruise company. Crew joke around with passengers. Music playing in the lounge is modern.

Though, yes, like other brands, Trafalgar brings local entertainment onboard, there are also games like the Liar’s Club (also called two truths and a lie) and Destination Decoded, where guests must guess the city based on a series of clues.